Invisible Editor

[Dux]

I have been a Topix local editor since the first week this program started, Seven months ago another person signed up to edit in my community, but has never returned, never poset anything.. perhaps she was picked up by a UFO??? I have asked Topiz to remove her, but her name stays on and she still, possibly, does not exist. What should I do?

[NightSerf]

I would think that an overactive and disruptive editor would be more of a problem. As long as her lack of activity leaves the forum more open to you, is the other editor really enough of a problem to merit any effort to get her removed?

[Kathy SF California]

That same thing happened on my news page. Never before has this person made even one post, as the profile indicates, on ANY topix subject.

The devil's advocate tells me that it may be Topix's way to make it seem there is a more balanced approach to the news pages??? It is suspicious indeed, especially since the terms of service state that an editor has to have had posts, etc. ;-)

[radiodollsct]

Frankly, it often seems that people sign up for a subject in advance of posting with the intent to post at a later time for a variety of reasons. That really doesn't annoy me, as reputation becomes apparent upon viewing current submissions.

But what does bother me is that I have an excellent reputation regarding content and continuity and have had requests for topic editorships unanswered. Now that bugs me. Why?

[Stargazer1]

One of the things I mentioned when I filled out my Spotlight questionnaire was that I thought some sign up to be Editor just to get the "badge".

I have been on many pages that have all the news posted by Roboblogger. That poor little guy must get so tired running around to all the different places to do everyone else's jobs. LOL

But I think it's true, some might think it makes them look important without actually doing what the priviledge of having it allows them to do.

[Jane Abao]

I also find "15 other editors" in my area but they are not acting as editors. No activity. Just in the list as editors.

[Jane Abao]

NightSerf wrote:

I would think that an overactive and disruptive editor would be more of a problem. As long as her lack of activity leaves the forum more open to you, is the other editor really enough of a problem to merit any effort to get her removed?

What's an overactive editor?

In my country, there's an American, married to a Filipina, and is editing the country's page - but his interest is on sex materials. I felt that if at all, a citizen of the country should be the one editing the page.

I then felt obligated to act as editor since anyway, I am an experienced editor. I have pride and everyday, I try to check that readers have something new to read and comment on.

[NightSerf]

An disruptively overactive editor is one that floods the page with stories that are way off-topic in order to promote an agenda that has little or nothing to do with the forum's focus. We haven't had that problem on my page, but I've seen it elsewhere. I wish I could point you to the page, but it's been a while and I've honestly forgotten which one it was.

But there are more pages where all of the articles come from RoboBlogger and the comments flow at a reate of one or two a month. I find that sad.

[Jane Abao]

NightSerf wrote:

An disruptively overactive editor is one that floods the page with stories that are way off-topic in order to promote an agenda that has little or nothing to do with the forum's focus. We haven't had that problem on my page, but I've seen it elsewhere. I wish I could point you to the page, but it's been a while and I've honestly forgotten which one it was.
But there are more pages where all of the articles come from RoboBlogger and the comments flow at a reate of one or two a month. I find that sad.

In some ways, that is actually advertising if it is to promote some idea positively. If it is to hit somebody, then blog warriors refer to that as missile. However, there are times most news feature the same tone over the same issue and the editor need only pick which one to post. Then there appears no disruption but a smooth flow. Where there is glaring discrepancy in the flow, yes, that kind of editor would be conspicuously disruptive.

[NightSerf]

Jane Abao wrote:

<quoted text>
In some ways, that is actually advertising if it is to promote some idea positively. If it is to hit somebody, then blog warriors refer to that as missile. However, there are times most news feature the same tone over the same issue and the editor need only pick which one to post. Then there appears no disruption but a smooth flow. Where there is glaring discrepancy in the flow, yes, that kind of editor would be conspicuously disruptive.

True, but enough wildly off-topic articles can make it hard for readers to find the good stuff. The focus of my page is local news. If a new editor were to flood the page with stories on some narrow aspect of various other localities or foreign counties, for instance, I would consider that to be so distracting that readers might stop checking in to see what's happening in my area.

I've had good luck--the other editors post appropriately, if sporadically. I'm actually hoping they'll get more active as my life is getting too busy to allow me to edit daily anymore.

[Jai-Leigh]

Jane Abao wrote:

I also find "15 other editors" in my area but they are not acting as editors. No activity. Just in the list as editors.

There are 5 other ones in my community, but I'm the only active one. I don't mind, though it would be nice to have someone else around on those days I'm sick and don't feel like sitting at my computer. I've been sick for a little over a week now with the flu, and I know I looked like I was slacking..but I'm springing back up now :)

[mkfarnam]

I admit that for awhile, just after I signed up,That I was an absentee editor. mainly because the format was confusing and then I moved out of state and didn't internet access for a while.
This was for Hazleton, Pa. news. Now I have Hazleton,pa. Ashland.OH. and Cadillac, Mi.

[Dux]

Gee, and I thought I was alone in this situation. Thanks for the support and feedback. One problem is that I'll be going away for ten days later this year, with no Internet access (no, no, nooooooo) and I was hoping that this person would at least fill in at that time. No contact information, though. I guess I'll ask my son to fill in.

[Jane Abao]

Jai-Leigh wrote:

<quoted text>There are 5 other ones in my community, but I'm the only active one. I don't mind, though it would be nice to have someone else around on those days I'm sick and don't feel like sitting at my computer. I've been sick for a little over a week now with the flu, and I know I looked like I was slacking..but I'm springing back up now :)

I feel the same way. I kept hoping someone would at least post while I was indisposed. When I came back, I only found that robot thing doing the rounds for me.